A Last Chance
by ladynadiad
Summary: Nephry is about to get married, her friends think it is a horrible mistake and try to talk her out of it. Some onesided Dist and Nephry.


**Note from Author**: As always, these characters do not belong to me, they belong to Namco Bandai. Of course as always if Namco Bandai is willing to give Asch, Guy or Jade to me, I would be happy to take them. But until then, all I can do is play around with them in my writings. This is a creation of my own overactive imagination and serious boredom, nothing more and nothing less.

* * *

A blanket of fresh snow fell over Keterburg. In any other place in Auldrant, this would have been considered unlucky at this time, the wedding of their governor. However, in Keterburg, this would be considered to be good. The snow represented a fresh new start as it covered the land and hid all signs of anyone being there.

No one attending found the snow unusual because of this. No, what was found unusual was her choice of husband.

She should be marrying Peony, not some stranger that she had only met months before.

Well, at least that was the opinion of most of her childhood friends, especially Peony himself. Saphir, however, didn't think even Peony was worthy of Nephry's hand. Only one as elegant and gorgeous as himself, now known as Dist the Rose would do for such a lovely flower as Nephry.

She was the only woman who had truly shown any understanding of him, and now she was abandoning him for another man. How could she do that?!

But still, even Peony was better than this stranger. This must be Jade's fault, further revenge against some misguided wrongdoing so many years ago.

And now it was up to him to undo what Jade has done. He wouldn't allow his gentle Nephry to make the biggest mistake of her life. He was glad he was able to get enough leave to arrive early to the wedding, though he would have left even if it hadn't been allowed. This was much more important.

He understood that she might prefer Peony. What sane person wouldn't want that sort of power? But she didn't want him, and if not, then why refuse the most elegant of the Six God-Generals? All for her and Jade he took the position with Van. To be refused in such a manner by both of them could not be forgiven!

If this ended badly, they would definitely both be going in his revenge journal. Though he hated the idea of putting Nephry in there, because it was obvious this was Jade's doing. Jade always was cruel to his friends. Yes, that was it, Jade turned her away from her true love.

The revenge for that will be sweet indeed.

"You really shouldn't be out in the cold. You know how it makes your nose run." He suddenly heard Jade's voice say from behind him.

"Oooh, damn you Jade! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Maybe if that chair of yours wasn't so loud you would have heard me."

"My chair is not loud!" he whined.

"Yulia spare me from loud then if quiet is hearing it from the other side of town. "

"I'm putting this in my revenge journal! Along with your talking Nephry into marrying that stranger!"

Jade walked in front of him. "That wasn't my doing. Though her choice was much better than what you wanted it to be."

"How can a stranger be better than someone as elegant as myself?!"

"Then why aren't you the groom?"

"Because I never told her my feelings!"

"Well, if you can talk her out of this foolishness, be my guest. She should be at her home making final preparations for the wedding."

"Well, I'll just do that. And I don't even need your help!" Dist screeched as he did the closest thing possible to storming off as he could while sitting in a floating chair.

Jade couldn't help but think that it would be good if his former friend could talk Nephry out of this. However, he was a realist, he knew Nephry had a good reason, and stubborn as she was, she wouldn't be persuaded otherwise.

At least not by Dist, and not by her own brother even. He also doubted Peony could talk any sense into her.

And if Peony couldn't do it, then they would just have to get used to the idea.

--

Nephry sat in front of a mirror while a maid worked on her hair. She was already dressed in the beautiful white gown she would wear as she walked down the aisle to become a married woman.

_But he wasn't Peony._

She frowned. Thoughts like that wouldn't help her get through this. She was making a perfectly fine match with Viscount Osborne. He was a wonderful man who would treat her and any children they had from their union with the care and respect they deserved.

She would lead a content life with him, and through their union she would become governor of Keterburg which should be a fulfilling role in and of itself. All in all, it should be a happy and fruitful union for them both.

Yes, it sounded perfect enough to most anyone else. But she knew there was one thing missing from this arrangement.

Love.

She liked Viscount Osborne, even cared about him. But love? No, it wasn't that. Maybe in time she would grow to love him, but now it was just a mutual affection for each other.

_But he wasn't Peony._

Stop that! She thought to herself. She had to forget about Peony. He was her Emperor, not someone within her reach to marry. Even Osborne was reaching above her station. No matter what she may be now because of her brother, she was still of common birth. No matter what Peony's wishes were, she wasn't suited to be Empress. It would cause a horrible scandal and people would lose trust in him as their Emperor. She had told him that, and then he had the nerve to say he would forget it all if she would just marry him.

That wasn't acceptable. Her happiness wasn't worth a kingdom. What would happen to Malkuth without an Emperor? There wasn't anyone else to take his place. It was his duty to marry someone worthy of being his Empress and for that woman to have heirs to the throne.

And then there was the Score. It had said she would marry another. That was enough to convince Peony at last. The Score must be upheld, that was why she was sitting here now

She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she was startled when she heard a knock on the door. Who could that be? She had already spoken to her brother last night as he tried to talk her out of this, and while he was to give her away, he wasn't to arrive until it was time for the ceremony to start. Peony had also found a moment to speak with her, though she sent him away as quickly as she could. Her soon to be husband was overseeing the final preparations for the wedding and wouldn't come to see her before the wedding anyhow, it was said to be bad luck.

Well, she couldn't exactly go answer it, but she could speak to whomever it was while her hair was being done. Before she could even say something to let this person in, she no longer had questions about who it was. Her visitor was asking to be let in, and she knew only one person with a voice like that, much akin to whining. It was Saphir.

"Let him in. I can talk to him while we finish here."

One of the maids hurried to comply and a screech was heard accompanying that sound of that obnoxious floating chair of his entering the room. "Nephry-"

He just suddenly stopped talking the moment he saw her. She could see his reflection in the mirror, a look of shock had come over his face. Why would he be shocked seeing her in her gown? He knew what he was coming here to see.

"Saphir, I'm glad to see you, but what do you need to say that can't wait until after the ceremony?"

"I, um, I…" he started to say.

Since when had he been at a loss for words? But yet she was seeing it right now with her own eyes. He just couldn't speak, what could be causing that. "Saphir, there isn't much time before the ceremony starts. Can't it wait until after the ceremony?"

"No! You can't marry him!" he shouted all of a sudden.

"I made my choice, I will be marrying Viscount Osborne. There is nothing you or anyone else can say to talk me out of it. Please, don't do anything to ruin this, Saphir."

"B-but, Nephry, you can't!"

She decided to humor him. "Why can't I?"

"A beautiful flower such as yourself is only worthy of one such as myself. You can't marry this stranger!"

It took everything she had to not laugh. That would just be too cruel to her old friend. She did care about him, or else she wouldn't have tried to keep the peace between all of them when Jade or Peony teased him. But he was just a friend, nothing more.

"I'm sorry Saphir, but I can't marry you. I'm flattered that you think I am worth giving your heart to, but I only think of you as a dear friend."

"But I love you! And I could give you everything you want!"

"Saphir, please, no more. I've already made up my mind, please don't make this any harder on both of us."

"Dist, haven't you learned yet that no means no?" Jade's voice suddenly interrupted as Nephry also saw him in the mirror.

"Is it time already, Jade?" she asked her brother.

"No, I thought to save you from a nuisance, unless you agree to his ludicrous proposal?"

"Please, both of you, stop it. I'm marrying Viscount Osborne, and no one else. Not Peony, not Saphir. Could both of you leave me alone until it's time to start?"

"Of course." Jade said with a mock bow as he left the room, forcing Dist to leave ahead of him. He made sure the door was closed behind him. She could hear them arguing and her brother telling his former friend that it was useless.

She knew they were just showing they cared about her, but it was so hard to have to keep telling them that she wouldn't marry Peony. And now Saphir had to throw in such an outrageous proposal.

At least there wasn't much longer until there was nothing more they could do. Once she said her vows, there was no going back. She would make the best of things.

And she would find happiness in her life somehow. She just hoped Peony could do the same.

--

The time had finally arrived. Jade had arrived to escort her down the aisle and give her away to the man that would be her husband.

And she was now a nervous wreck. She was barely able to stand. If it hadn't been for the fact that she would have her brother with her, she probably wouldn't be able to do this.

He held out his arm to her. "Are you ready?"

She took her bouquet of flowers and grasped it as if it were a lifeline, and then looped her arm around his. "I guess so."

"You're nervous, aren't you? You can still change your mind."

"No, I can't."

"It wouldn't be so bad to marry the Emperor, if that is your wish. We could give Osborne your regrets."

"You aren't helping. I won't marry Peony, and don't even think I would marry Saphir."

"I wasn't saying you should. He's the last person I would want as a member of the family."

She smiled then, her brother did have a way of being able to make her smile no matter what happened. "Let's go. I don't want Osborne to think I'm going to leave him standing at the altar. I'll be fine once it's over."

"Of course you will."

They both left and he escorted her to the man that was soon to be her husband. The one that would share her life with her.

He just hoped she would find some happiness in her life. He knew Osborne would take care of her, and was glad for that much.

And he would be left to console his Emperor when they returned to Grand Chokmah.


End file.
